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How dangerous is lightning to swimmers?

The other day I was swimming at Shepperton lake when a storm blew in. I saw a flash on the horizon, turned to a nearby swimmer and asked: “was that lightning?”

“Well, I don’t think you got caught by a speed camera,” he replied.

Thanks!

As most of you will know, lightning is supposed to bad for swimmers. Like any responsible venue operator would, the staff at Shepperton evacuated the lake, but it still took me a few anxious minutes to get out, during which time I saw several more lightning strikes. I started trying to figure out the probability of lightning hitting me or the lake, and what the consequences might be if it did.